Having watched my share of NYPD Blue some years back, it was strange seeing David Caruso in a crime drama set in New York without Dennis Franz at his side.
That's right: New York. Just prior to its season finale, CSI Miami sends Horatio Caine to the Big Apple in search of a killer. Caine's lead seems to dead-end when he arrives at another crime scene and discovers his suspect was murdered two days prior to the Miami crime he is investigating.
Enter Gary Sinise as Detective Mac Taylor. The scene of Caine and Taylor's meeting features a moment of lighting genius in which Caine stands in a beam of warm amber sunlight while Taylor's key matches the cool blue ambiance of his native New York atmosphere. (Who says these things only happen in films!)
In this pre-pilot, Taylor and Caine discover they are searching for the same killer. At first they refrain from joining forces, but once they establish through chit-chat their mutual admiration for the death penalty and its liberal enforcement, the two are inseparable.
While the CSI counterparts get acquainted, two more murders take place in New York. These are uncannily similar to the Miami slayings. A bloody fingerprint in Miami points Caine and Taylor to a convict, a rooftop chase and a narrow escape for their new prime suspect.
The New York CSI team pieces together the facts of the most recent murders. The introductions of Taylor's staff are brief and forgettable. This episode was created to establish an emotional connection between Caine and Taylor, presumably to generate interest in CSI New York's "real" pilot. If all goes well, the show will have an entire season to develop supporting characters.
For those who didn't see it and are hoping to catch the repeat, I'll refrain from revealing who hired the hit man and why. And for those like me who are contemplating whether to watch the CSI New York pilot, I say "go for it." If the pre-pilot (CSI Miami in New York episode) is any indication, CSI New York will probably build on the solid foundation of tough-but-approachable characters, clever episodic plots and fast pace that typify the first two CSI shows. The intense simulations of violent crime forensics (the CSI trademark device) also make for hypnotic viewing.
